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Recipe: Yogurt Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Both Bobby and I have a major weakness for really good oatmeal raisin cookies. I also happen to have a jar of homemade yogurt in my fridge from my dad’s girlfriend (she makes it from raw milk they buy in PA!) that I wanted to do something with aside from yogurt breakfast bowls.

So I set out to experiment with a yogurt based oatmeal raisin cookie. It came out GREAT. I will warn you – these are not very sweet (on purpose) and could probably be eaten for breakfast or a healthy/hearty snack – but in my mind they are also the perfect dessert.

I haven’t gotten Kurt into these yet (to be honest, he doesn’t like ANY sweets, and thank goodness – have you ever met a 20 month old boy who doesn’t want candy? That’s my son) but that’s ok… more for us.

IMG_0684

Here’s the simple recipe:

Yogurt Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup plain yogurt
  • 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2.5 cups whole oats
  • heaping 1/3 cup raisins
  • 1/3 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F.
  2. Mix together the yogurt, sugar, egg, vanilla.
  3. Separately, mix the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
  4. Add the flour mix into the wet mix; mix well.
  5. Add the oats, raisins, and coconut – mix well.
  6. Make large (1/3 cup or so) scoops of the dough into round cookie shapes and bake for 13-15 minutes on a baking pan sprayed with Pam.

This made 8 very large cookies. If you prefer smaller ones, reduce the cooking time by about 2 minutes to accommodate that!

Hope you get a chance to enjoy these yummy healthy yogurty oatmeal raisin cookies!

And Happy New Year if I don’t check in before then!

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MilkIN Cookies! {Recipe} (AKA Lactation Cookies – with Vegan Option)

I made these lactation cookies to promote milk production for breastfeeding. I ate these in the days leading up to giving birth as well as after K was born. I am not sure if they actually helped with supply (I didn’t have any issues), but even if they didn’t they’re still tasty and worth making.

milkin lacation cookies vegan

I came up with the recipe based on a few that I looked at online. It seems like the key ingredients for milk production are probably:

  • Brewer’s yeast (must use this yeast specifically – don’t substitute with nutritional yeast or other)
  • Ground flaxseed (also helpful for treating PCOS)
  • Oats and wheat germ (fiber is supposed to be good for milk supply)
  • Organic Butter (healthy animal fat)

It’s very easy to veganize this recipe; instructions for both regular and vegan are below.

Ingredients (with vegan option)

  • 3 tablespoons ground flaxseed
  • 5 tablespoons water
  • 3/4 cup (whole wheat) flour
  • 3 tablespoons wheat germ
  • 3 tablespoons brewer’s yeast
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon (ceylon) cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup organic butter (room temperature) – vegan option: 1/2 cup coconut oil
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 (organic) egg – vegan option: additional 1T flaxseed and 1.5T water (add this to the above ingredients)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1.5 cups whole oats (ideally not quick oats)
  • cooking spray / greased pan
  • Optional: 1/2 cup raisins
  • Optional: 1/2 shredded coconut
  • Optional: 1/2 cup chocolate chips
  • Optional: 1/2 cup nuts
  • Optional: Any other of your favorite cookie add-ins!

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 325F.
  2. In one bowl, mix together: flaxseed and water. Let it sit for 5 minutes.
  3. In another bowl, mix together: butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla. (If making the vegan version, omit the egg at this point and add coconut oil instead of butter.)
  4. In another bowl, mix together: flour, wheat germ, brewer’s yeast, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
  5. Add the oats and any add-ins to the dry ingredients.
  6. Add the flaxseed mix to the wet ingredients and mix.
  7. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix. IF dough is too dry, add a tablespoon of water at a time and mix.
  8. Shape into cookies and bake on a greased cookie sheet for 12-14 minutes.

I have made both the vegan and regular versions multiple times and they both turn out well.

My add-ins were shredded coconut and raisins.

These can be shared with family members! Husbands and grandmas love them too. I had mine for breakfast, as a snack, and for dessert.

Let me know if you try them and if they work for you.

What are your tips to boost milk supply?

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Thankful Thursday & Happiness

Did you see the stevia contest winners yet? I updated them.

On Being Thankful

I had a great birthday yesterday, thanks to your comments and lots of wishes from friends and family all over the country and even around the world. I’m so thankful to have met so many people through this blog and this healthy living community! And I’m thankful for technology that lets me stay in contact with friends and family that I otherwise would not see or talk to.

I was in a pensive mood yesterday, and I was thinking about being thankful, and being happy, and I came to the following conclusion:

If you are happy, that is all that matters.

At the end of my (hopefully very long) life, I want to look back and think, “wow, I was a happy person, and I spread that happiness to everyone I knew.” That would make me feel accomplished. And happy! It’s the little things in life that are important, right? Little things like…

  • hugging your friends/family/spouse/significant other
  • taking time to savor life (and food, yum)
  • being proud of the little things that you do really well at your job
  • finishing a Friday crossword (ok, that hasn’t happened yet)
  • learning something new
  • and so on.

I’m thankful for lots of simple (foodie) things, like seasonal and organic heirloom tomatoes that my mom gave me last weekend…

Chopped heirlooms with a simple dressing of soy sauce, vinegar, and peanut oil.

I’m thankful that I can make time for a relaxing cup of tea each day.

Earl grey tea from a dear friend.

And I’m thankful that I can enjoy coconut cookies for breakfast (recipe to come).

Coconut cookies in my big breakfast mug.

What are you thankful for?

I am also thankful for my yoga challenge (join me!), and thankful that I have the chance to do another giveaway… so stop back tomorrow! Other upcoming posts include a post about wine, my Project Food Blog post, and something else I am currently forgetting. I must be getting old 😉

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Alisa: Marriage and Peanut Butter Truffles

I have been a longtime reader of Alisa’s blog, One Frugal Foodie (longtime as in years!). She also has a kickass book: Go Dairy Free (my Go Dairy Free review here). Bobby (my husband) and I are both semi-lactose intolerant (he is more so) and I am always inspired by Alisa’a dairy-free recipes. I hope you all enjoy this one!

***

I was so honored when Maggie asked me to do a wedding-themed guest post! I have been with my husband, Tony, for fourteen wonderful years, and I am happy to tell Maggie that we grow closer every day.

Of course, one thing that keeps my husband happy is that I almost always have some type of homemade dessert stocked for his sweet tooth. A lot of men will tell you that they really aren’t into dessert. Yeah. Right. That is what Tony told me so many years ago … but when that first batch of a dozen cookies emerged from the oven in our first apartment together, I savored two with tea, and then somehow, as if by magic, all disappeared by the next day. After watching this scenario repeat time and time again, I finally started baking up just 4 to 6 cookies at a time, storing the dough in the fridge or freezer for (daily) dessert emergencies.

But with so many years of practice, my friends always ask me to bring a dessert to get-togethers … even weddings!

A few years ago, I was the Maid of Honor for a good friend, and she was completely stuck on what to do for wedding favors. Her budget was running thin, and she didn’t want something that could be thrown away. I suggested that we make some chocolates. Cheap, easy, tasty … the idea was a go. We decided on peanut butter “truffles,” which were inspired by that old “Buckeye” recipe.

As it turned out, just making these favors turned into a wonderful wedding memory. A few nights before the big day, four of us sat around with glasses of wine (of course!) rolling, dipping, and sneaking bites as we gossiped and shared in my friend’s excitement.

Peanut Butter “Truffles”

Recipe from Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook

Casually elegant, these glorified peanut butter cups earned me rave reviews at a close friend’s wedding. For party favors, we wrapped a few little treats up in tulle and placed one on each guest’s plate. All night long, people I had never met approached me with recipe requests for “those incredible truffles.” While I would love to gloat on my innovation and labor, the recipe is embarrassingly easy …

Ingredients

  • 2 Cups Powdered / Confectioner’s Sugar
  • 3/4 Cup Smooth All Natural Peanut Butter
  • 1/4 Cup Dairy-Free Margarine or Shortening, Softened
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
  • 6 Ounces Semi-Sweet or Dark Chocolate Chips
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Shortening

Method

  1. Combine the sugar, peanut butter, margarine or shortening, vanilla, and salt in a medium-sized mixing bowl, and blend until smooth.
  2. Pinch off pieces of the peanut butter mixture and roll them into balls that are 1/2 to 1 inch in diameter. Since you won’t be baking them, the thickness of the filling is really up to you.
  3. Place the peanut butter balls in a single layer on baking sheets lined with wax paper or non-stick baking mats (I flatten them slightly to keep them from rolling around), and freeze until they are firm, about 15 to 20 minutes.
  4. While those are chilling, Place the chocolate and 1/2 teaspoon of shortening in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on HIGH in 30 second intervals (just 2 to 3 should suffice), stirring vigorously between intervals, until the chocolate has just melted and is smooth. Be careful not to overheat the chocolate, as it can scorch easily.
  5. Remove the peanut butter balls from the freezer, dunk them in the melted chocolate to coat, and return them to the baking sheets to dry.
  6. Place the truffles in the refrigerator or freezer to chill for 1 hour, or until the chocolate coating is firm. The truffles should keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Yields approximately 2 Dozen “Truffles”.

***

Thanks for the simple and delicious recipe, Alisa! Definitely must try this 🙂 Bobby claims that he doesn’t have a sweet tooth, but I know better…

What is your favorite recipe or crafty thing to make? I like making homemade goodies for people for holidays, like bread and Christmas cookies. (This year I made gingerbread houses with Auntie Jo – who is my real aunt now!)

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Movin’ On Up…

… To the East Side. To a deluxe apartment in the sky-y-y-.

I have had that song stuck in my head for the last hour for some reason. I already live on the east side, but I am making some improvements to our place. Tonight we got rid of our old couch and tomorrow morning we get a new couch and a great oversized arm chair. Keeping my fingers crossed that they fit up the stairs!

Out with the old…

In with the new…

Morning breakfast was this week’s special (again) – a waffle from my dad. I have one left. Toppings were cream cheese and agave nectar. It was good, but not as good as the macademia nut butter I had last weekend.

Lunch was another favorite – Cafe Metro has $6 unlimited salads if you order online this month, so two of my coworkers and I opted for yummy salads. Avocado, chicken, and other goodies? I approve. My one coworker and I walked to pick up the orders – probably a mile total (there and back).

The rest of my day was busy, but otherwise uneventful (aside from getting rid of the couch). I walked home for exercise (2 more miles) and made a standard dinner, finishing off the meal with some maca chocolate and kabocha. Predictable.

Not predictable – a cookie from Bobby! It was an amazingly gooey chocolate chip cookie from City Bakery. Oh my, heaven in baked good form. It had huge chunks of chocolate. Definitely a good splurge.

Source.

Bobby is out getting dinner with our cousin, but I don’t really like to be out late on weeknights so I stayed in. I might even go to bed early. I’ve been so tired this week! An early night would be amazing. So that is where I’m headed.

How often do you splurge on something yummy?